Subject: Gerald Geographic location of the bug: Duxbury, Massachusetts Date: 01/10/2019 Time: 12:53 PM EDT Your letter to the bugman: Hello Mr. Bugman, My friends and I have enjoyed our chemistry class while watching our friend Gerald, a dead bug, who passed away a week ago. I am truly hurt that he was killed, but he brings us good luck to every class. He was very near and dear to my heart, and I would love to know what bug he is. R.I.P. Gerald <3 How you want your letter signed: Thanks!

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

We are sorry for the loss of your good luck mascot, but alas, Gerald is a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, an invasive, exotic species that was first reported from Pennsylvania at the end of the 20th Century and has now spread across much of the North American continent. Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs frequently enter homes to hibernate. Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs pose a significant threat to agriculture, and according to BugGuide: “Highly polyphagous, reported on ~300 plant spp. in its native range; feeds mostly on fruit, but also on leaves, stems, petioles, flowers, and seeds. Damage typically confined to fruiting structures” and “in the US, reported to damage apples, pears, peaches, cherries, corn, tomatoes, peppers, soybean, ornamentals…”

Subject: Found four of these in my house Geographic location of the bug: Northern westchester. South salem new york Date: 12/22/2018 Time: 03:09 PM EDT Your letter to the bugman: I found one dead on A sweater in my drawer, another on the steps and two more. They are hard shelled. Please see if you can identify. How you want your letter signed: Roberts

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Dear Roberts, While your image is quite blurry, we are confident this is a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, an Invasive Exotic species from Asia that is now established across North America. Invasive Exotic species often proliferate as they have no natural enemies. They are also Household Pests since they seek shelter indoors to escape our cold winters. Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs pose a significant threat to agriculture since, according to BugGuide, they are “Highly polyphagous, reported on ~300 plant spp. in its native range; feeds mostly on fruit, but also on leaves, stems, petioles, flowers, and seeds. Damage typically confined to fruiting structures.” Indoors they are a nuisance, but they will not damage your home nor its furnishings.

Subject: Unidentified Beetle Geographic location of the bug: New Jersey Date: 10/28/2018 Time: 11:29 AM EDT Your letter to the bugman: This bug was just walking on our carpet and I thought it would be easy to identify. Ah, nope. I have looked at hundreds of pictures and can’t spot it. It is black, with 2 yellow dots and some small yellow stripes on the tail. 6 legs. How you want your letter signed: Lee

Subject: Mating Stink Bugs Geographic location of the bug: Jacksonville, Florida Date: 09/22/2018 Time: 09:50 PM EDT Your letter to the bugman: I saw these flat, mating bugs that look like some sort of stink bug. The picture was taken 9/22/2018 around 12:30 PM. How you want your letter signed: EK Gilley

Mating Rough Stink Bugs

Dear EK Gilley, These are indeed mating Stink Bugs. More specifically, they are mating Tree Stink Bugs or Rough Stink Bugs in the genus Brochymena. According to BugGuide: “Usually bark-like (cryptic). Lateral teeth on juga. Head elongated, pronotum laterally with toothlike projections, and rear margin of abdomen has pleated pattern.” We haven’t posted a new image representing this genus in over a decade and we have learned quite a bit since then. We used to write that they are a predatory species (a claim we never source cited) but we have come to realize this is not always the case, and as BugGuide indicates, they are: “phytophagous (some reports of predation).”

Subject: Blue beetle? Geographic location of the bug: Homestead , FL Date: 09/10/2018 Time: 07:40 PM EDT Your letter to the bugman: Found about 15-20 of these pairing up in the hedges near the Dante Fascell visitor center of biscayne National Park. Can you give me an ID? How you want your letter signed: Lisa

Stink Bug

Dear Lisa, These are not Beetles. They are Stink Bugs and we identified them as Murgantia violascens thanks to BugGuide where it states the range is: “FL / W. Indies, BG records are from Key West.” The species is also pictured on iNaturalist.

Subject: Insect ID Geographic location of the bug: North Central Massachusetts Date: 08/29/2018 Time: 05:18 AM EDT Your letter to the bugman: Can you please ID this bug I found on my cannabis plant? How you want your letter signed: thanks, Hammer

Spined Soldier Bug Eggs

Dear Hammer, These are Stink Bug eggs, and generally, if a gardener finds a cluster of Stink Bug eggs on a cherished plant, it would be a problem, but thank to this BugGuide image, we have identified the eggs you found as those of a predatory Spined Soldier Bug in the genus Podisus. If you have not destroyed the eggs, we would urge you to return them or allow them to hatch and return the nymphs back to the plant because according to BugGuide: “preys on a wide variety of other arthropods, especially larval forms of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. Examples: known to eat Mexican bean beetles, European corn borers, diamondback moths, corn earworms, beet armyworms, fall armyworms, cabbage loopers, imported cabbageworms, Colorado potato beetles, and velvetbean caterpillars.” We have learned that the Tobacco Budworm, Heliothis virescens, a species of Cutworm, can decimate a budding Cannabis plant that is close to harvest by burrowing into the center of the bud and feeding from the inside out without being detected until the entire bud turns brown. Here is a BugGuide image of the hatchling Spined Soldier Bugs so you can recognize them, and recognizing the adult Spined Soldier Bug will allow you to maintain the species in your garden so your crop will be more organic.